Interested in the PowerPC Notebooks. Help please?

[viperGTS]

I am interested in getting one of these, and I hear they go for around $200? I have some questions about them. One of these may just replace my ASUS netbook. 🙂

1. Do they perform flash games well? My netbook really struggled with this.

2. Will I be able to manage an iPhone 4S with one of these? The requirements according to apple are OS 10.5.8 with iTunes 10.5.

3. I read the FAQ thread and it seems that WiFi needs to be installed by the user. Is this a complicated process at all?

4. Why are people still so interested in these old machines? Like what is the fuss about them? 😱


Thanks in advance. 🙂
5. Finally, will these machines make for a good replacement for a netbook?

 

[Intell]

PowerPC Macbooks don't exist. All Macbooks are Intell based. Do you mean the Macbook's predecessor, the iBook?

1: They don't handle Flash very well and the newest version of Flash for them is very outdated and not secure.

2: You still be able to use the latest version of iTunes with it. But Apple may drop PowerPC/Leopard support when the new version of iTunes is released in October. This new version of iTunes will be required for iOS 6 and the 6th generation iPhone.

3: Airport comes with some of them, some people have even put an Airport card in their machines already. It is not a complicated process.

4: The old machines are fun to use, nostalgic, and beautiful. They represent the pinnacle of Mac OS X within Apple's history.

5: They may make a good replacement for somethings, but for playing Flash games, no.

 

[Ariii]

I am interested in getting one of these, and I hear they go for around $200? I have some questions about them. One of these may just replace my ASUS netbook. 🙂

1. Do they perform flash games well? My netbook really struggled with this.

2. Will I be able to manage an iPhone 4S with one of these? The requirements according to apple are OS 10.5.8 with iTunes 10.5.

3. I read the FAQ thread and it seems that WiFi needs to be installed by the user. Is this a complicated process at all?

As long as they already come with an AirPort card, you'll be fine with wireless networking. Otherwise, they make it easy. It takes a couple minutes, all you have to do is plug in the cable and you don't have to unscrew anything. And you'll be able to sync your iPhone 4S, the latest version of iTunes is supported on Leopard. Flash gaming should be okay if you stick to the last PowerBook revision, the 1.69 GHz one. That's the only one I can really recommend since you're doing Flash gaming. And you definitely can't do heavy flash gaming either. If you list the model/specs of the netbook it would help, it would help. It might be an upgrade depending on which one.

 

[Intell]

If it's a netbook, it likely has an Intell Atom CPU. Even the first generation Intell Atom Silverthorne CPU is more powerful than the 7447B G4 used in the last revision Powerbook G4.

 

[viperGTS]

PowerPC Macbooks don't exist. All Macbooks are Intell based. Do you mean the Macbook's predecessor, the iBook?

1: They don't handle Flash very well and the newest version of Flash for them is very outdated and not secure.

2: You still be able to use the latest version of iTunes with it. But Apple may drop PowerPC/Leopard support when the new version of iTunes is released in October. This new version of iTunes will be required for iOS 6 and the 6th generation iPhone.

3: Airport comes with some of them, some people have even put an Airport card in their machines already. It is not a complicated process.

4: The old machines are fun to use, nostalgic, and beautiful. They represent the pinnacle of Mac OS X within Apple's history.

5: They may make a good replacement for somethings, but for playing Flash games, no.

I meant iBooks/powerbooks. I should've said notebooks, sorry about that! Thanks for your response. 🙂

What you said about 4 was right. These machines always interested me when I was younger.

And yes my netbook has an Intel atom CPU.

As long as they already come with an AirPort card, you'll be fine with wireless networking. Otherwise, they make it easy. It takes a couple minutes, all you have to do is plug in the cable and you don't have to unscrew anything. And you'll be able to sync your iPhone 4S, the latest version of iTunes is supported on Leopard. Flash gaming should be okay if you stick to the last PowerBook revision, the 1.69 GHz one. That's the only one I can really recommend since you're doing Flash gaming. And you definitely can't do heavy flash gaming either. If you list the model/specs of the netbook it would help, it would help. It might be an upgrade depending on which one.

I found an iBook g4 1.2 ghz, 512 MB of RAM, 30 GB HDD, dvd combo and WiFi built in for $159 on eBay.
Is that good?

 

[WRP]

You can get a macbook for $200. Why would you go back to PPC?

 

[Ariii]

I found an iBook g4 1.2 ghz, 512 MB of RAM, 30 GB HDD, dvd combo and WiFi built in for $159 on eBay.
Is that good?

That's an okay deal for what it is, but it probably wouldn't be a good replacement for you. If it doesn't have Leopard, you can't sync it with your iPhone either.

 

[viperGTS]

You can get a macbook for $200. Why would you go back to PPC?

Which one?

That's an okay deal for what it is, but it probably wouldn't be a good replacement for you. If it doesn't have Leopard, you can't sync it with your iPhone either.

Yes it comes with Leopard. I guess the whole flash game thing isnt a conplete dealbreaker but it would be very, very nice. And i'm talking mainly 2D like stick arena.

 

[Ariii]

Which one?

He probably means the original 2006 MacBook.

Yes it comes with Leopard. I guess the whole flash game thing isnt a conplete dealbreaker but it would be very, very nice. And i'm talking mainly 2D like stick arena.

I'm not completely sure about Flash gaming, I've only done it on faster PowerPC's. But you'll probably see that your NetBook does equal/better.

 

[Intell]

Flash on an Intell Atom is much better then any PPC Mac running the same Flash program.

 

[viperGTS]

Flash on an Intell Atom is much better then any PPC Mac running the same Flash program.

Ouch 😱 is there any way i can tell how good/bad it would run on a i/powerbook?

 

[Ariii]

Ouch 😱 is there any way i can tell how good/bad it would run on a i/powerbook?

There's no real numerical way to test it, really. Most people have found the Flash version for Mac OS X to be inferior to Windows, even with the same specs and the same machines. That's been my experience with it as well.

 

[Nameci]

If you are not a powerpc fan like most of us here, better stick with your netbook.

my 15" last revision powerbook may bench lower than my macbook but they are fun to use.

 

[Lil Chillbil]

About a week ago I bought my Powerbook G4 2004 on craigslist
The specs were
1.33mhz PowerPC G4
768mb RAM
60gb Solid State Drive
Airport Extreme
10.5.8
Brand New Battery new lcd display whole unit in pristine condition with original charger with no yellowing including a rolling leather laptop case and icurve

The Price
$135 Total
I wasn't a big fan of Powerpc laptops until I got mine and I must say
its the best computer I have ever owned
I am extremely happy with it 🙂

----------

I am interested in getting one of these, and I hear they go for around $200? I have some questions about them. One of these may just replace my ASUS netbook. 🙂

1. Do they perform flash games well? My netbook really struggled with this.

2. Will I be able to manage an iPhone 4S with one of these? The requirements according to apple are OS 10.5.8 with iTunes 10.5.

3. I read the FAQ thread and it seems that WiFi needs to be installed by the user. Is this a complicated process at all?

4. Why are people still so interested in these old machines? Like what is the fuss about them? 😱


Thanks in advance. 🙂
5. Finally, will these machines make for a good replacement for a netbook?

At this point PowerPC is the titanic and most people have jumped off but were holding on til the very end

 

[viperGTS]

If you are not a powerpc fan like most of us here, better stick with your netbook.

my 15" last revision powerbook may bench lower than my macbook but they are fun to use.

Well I can't really tell if I am a fan of them yet 😛 but they seem like interesting machines to own.

 

[Nameci]

I own a couple of them intel ones, but I am more fascinated with my powerpc macs.

My macbook is currently my mobile work computer, it is because I have to run windows software for my job. If not I would still be lugging my powerbook. It is a hassle in the airport taking out two computers (1 powerbook and one cheap windows laptop) passing thru TSA.

I just love my powerbook, never want to let go of it.

 

[viperGTS]

I own a couple of them intel ones, but I am more fascinated with my powerpc macs.

My macbook is currently my mobile work computer, it is because I have to run windows software for my job. If not I would still be lugging my powerbook. It is a hassle in the airport taking out two computers (1 powerbook and one cheap windows laptop) passing thru TSA.

I just love my powerbook, never want to let go of it.

How has flash ran for you on your Powerbook? Could I even think about emulating PS1 on those or an iBook?

I really want a mac and i want to ditch my netbook. 😛

 

[Jessica Lares]

I'm looking at your other posts and think that you're just wanting to get a Mac, just to have a Mac. I even see it in one of your first threads:

the reason i considered a mac is because they might last a lot longer than a windows based PC

Like someone else said here, I think you should consider one of the 2006 Intel models, particularly the late 2006 ones because they are upgradable to Lion and are cheap at this point. You will enjoy it and get more use out of it because it runs very, very, very well and there isn't really any mainstream technology holding it back. I have my Late 2006 MacBook Pro still and it runs just as well as the new models out now.

A PowerPC, especially the G4s aren't going to cut it for your needs.

 

[viperGTS]

I'm looking at your other posts and think that you're just wanting to get a Mac, just to have a Mac. I even see it in one of your first threads:

You make this sound so bad. My PC and netbook have given me headaches - why wouldnt I want to go to a mac? I've heard nothing but good about them.

Like someone else said here, I think you should consider one of the 2006 Intel models, particularly the late 2006 ones because they are upgradable to Lion and are cheap at this point. You will enjoy it and get more use out of it because it runs very, very, very well and there isn't really any mainstream technology holding it back. I have my Late 2006 MacBook Pro still and it runs just as well as the new models out now.

I may consider, but these models are dirt cheap which is what attracted me the most.

A PowerPC, especially the G4s aren't going to cut it for your needs.

Comments in bold.

 

[Jessica Lares]

You make this sound so bad. My PC and netbook have given me headaches - why wouldnt I want to go to a mac? I've heard nothing but good about them.

Macs are great, however, you are expecting hardware that is 10 years old to be "great" which is not the case, especially when we're in a decade where the internet only works as great as the computer it's being ran on because of all the flash media and HTML5 being heavily used.

I may consider, but these models are dirt cheap which is what attracted me the most.

They are dirt cheap because you can't run most of the modern applications that are out there today, and are three OS versions behind now. You can't even develop for them in the last few versions of Xcode.

 

[Lil Chillbil]

Don't expect a lot from a powerpc laptop it will "just" get the job done
I would go with a first gen macbook pro it has the same basic design as the powerbook but with more performance

 

[DrakkenWar]

Jessica is spot on..

It really does boil down to expectations and what you will really get. If you expecting to pick up a $200 PPC mac PB or iBook and expect it to do everything even a modern "cheap" netbook will do? Well it won't plan and simple. However, if you take the age into consideration for your daily computing needs and you aren't fatally addicted to FarmVille or miniclip or others of that ilk you will be pleasantly surprised. Granted owning and using a PPC of any kind for a daily driver or production machine comes with a few cavities, if you want to watch YouTube videos? Get MacTubes. You want the best browsing experiance? TenFourFox, Camino, Opera. You have to hunt around a bit to find versions of software you take for granted on that netbook. So it is not a seamless user experience. It takes a bit of knowledge, patients and knowing where to go to find the supported versions of the software that you use on a daily basis.
That being said (holy crepes sorry this is running so long.) If you are like those of us that use our PPC macs out of choice and/or even a quirky love affair with these machines, shop around a bit more and find a PowerBook The extra humpf will get you a bit farther down the road and you will not have to worry about the GPU issues that plagued the entire iBook line. I personally had 4 of them that kicked the bucket on me in that way, not something I would ever like to repeat. Sorry again for the long post, but there it is for your rumination in deciding whether a 6-10 year old computer will fit the bill for what you want to do on a daily basis.